Zombies rise from the dead to wander Las Cruces' Main Street

Zombies will rise from the grave for the fourth annual Zombie Walk

Anne Marie Roberts growls at humans at the Zombie Walk last year. (Niki Rhynes For the Sun-News)

Sally Quick gets a touch-up on her wound by Deena Catanach right before the Zombie Walk last year. (Niki Rhynes For the Sun-News)

LAS CRUCES >> Once a year, something terrible happens. It could be a highly contagious virus or an overcrowding of the underworld, but the dead -- rotten or fresh -- will walk downtown Las Cruces for one evening in search of brains.

In years past, zombies have risen from the peace movement of the 1960s and from hospitals and weddings. They limp, lurch and shuffle their way down Main and Church Streets in a gruesome, crowded display of horror.

All is to the sick delight of judges and humans with cameras.

"It does provide the community with something to do," said Melissa Aguilera, event and marketing coordinator for the Doña Ana Arts Council. "People are always saying there's nothing to do in Las Cruces and I think we're trying to change that."

For the fourth Annual Zombie Walk on Saturday, registration numbers will be pinned to the undead at 5 p.m. so that judges can award prizes to the "Most Original," "Most Disgusting," "Best Group or Couple" and "Best Child Zombie." The walk starts at 6 p.m. from the Rio Grande Theatre, 211 N. Main St.

"I think the year before, one of the best ones was a lady -- she was pregnant -- and she had little zombie baby legs sticking out of her stomach," Aguilera said.

A few of last year's winners included a bunch of undead gang members, a man with a screwdriver through his eye and a couple who looked like they died at the disco with their dog.

Zombie Walk is a pretty exciting event for local horror enthusiasts. It has grown significantly every year and there were 2,000 zombies present last year. That's up from around 1,000 the year before, Aguilera said.

For the living, several food and craft vendors will be available. Local winners of the Vans Warped Tour Battle of the Bands, Decade of the Dead Arcade, will perform on the main stage at 7 p.m. before the Alma d'arte Charter High School dancers, who will dance to Michael Jackson's "Thriller."

A frightening group of zombies waits for the third annual Zombie Walk to start. (Andi Murphy Sun-News)

"I haven't actually been to one (zombie walk)," said Andrew Martinez, singer and guitar player for Decade of the Dead Arcade. "It sounds cool and I'm excited. I don't know exactly what to expect."

He can expect a lot of blood, moaning and maybe some trails of intestines dragging behind some poor fellow who doesn't know he's dead.

Decade of the Dead Arcade has played all over the area for the past seven months. They'll bring their modern dance rock tunes to the zombie stage for the first time.

"At shows, the living people dance to it and we'll see if the dead can dance to it," Martinez said. "It's always a super fun time of the year. That's the big thing I'm looking forward to this Halloween."

Daniel Rodriguez Jr., 4, is very excited for his turn as a zombie this year. He's practicing his zombie walk and has already looked up some zombie makeup videos on the Internet, said his grandmother Rosana Ortega.

"He wasn't dressed as a zombie last year," Ortega said. "He loved it, so his parents got ideas and they're ready for action. It's going to be a challenge to do the makeup on a 4-year-old little boy."

Some adults will spend hours on their makeup and can get very creative.

"I use liquid latex and toilet paper. Layer them alternately, letting each layer dry before applying the next layer," Meloy said. "The more layers, the more 'skin' you can peel off. Once you peel, put fake blood, dirt, etc., in the hole or wound."

All zombie makeup materials are welcome, but, of course, real weapons are not allowed. To have a good chance at winning a prize, watch a few zombie movies. The old films with slow, stiff zombies are what the judges mostly like, Melissa Aguilera said.

Pets are not allowed, although organizers are thinking about adding a zombie pets walk to future events.

"We want everybody to be safe and have a good time and get as gruesome as they'd like," Aguilera said.

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